spring 2009 mcmaster times

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McMaster Times

Best of the bestOur leading libraries

Expert views on surviving economic turmoil

Committed to Hamilton –how McMaster connects

McMaster Times - Spring ‘09 3

Two McMaster professors receive Canada’s highest teaching award ................................. 8

McMaster to create a unique virtual museum ........... 8

Stellar software lights up the sky ................................. 9

New approach to peace at McMaster ......................... 9

Conference targets Aboriginal health .......................... 9

Gillespie marks 50 years at McMaster ........................ 9

Pan Am bid gets City and University go-ahead .......... 9

Dramatic boost for robotics at McMaster ................... 9

Skelding recognized ........................................................ 9

Research News............................................................... 10

Men’s volleyball team wins championship ............... 11

Awards and Honours ..................................................... 11

University News

Grants honour parents ..................................................... 6

Philomathia Foundation encourages exploration ...... 7

New spinal cord laboratory............................................ 7

Campaign News

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR................................................. 4

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE ................................................. 5

ALUMNI ALBUM ............................................................. 21

McMASTER WRITES ...................................................... 28

IN MEMORIAM................................................................ 29

THE LAST WORD ............................................................. 34

Departments

“To me, the financial crisis illustrates the need

for sustainable funding for international development. When the lives of millions of people depend on the

privilege of others, it leads to egregious inequity.”

That’s Dr. James Orbinski ‘90.

More from him in Meet McMaster on page 12. More from others

on the economy in “I will survive,” page 16.

Meet McMaster .............................. 12Doctor and humanitarian James Orbinski ’90 tells us how his two callings have shaped his actions and thought. By Dana Yates The end of Fort Book and the rise of Home Base ............ 14 McMaster libraries are becoming great places for people today and in the future. By Jeanie MacFarlane

I will survive .................................... 16 McMaster experts share a variety of perspec-tives on today’s economic storm. By Chantall Van Raay McMaster is here ........................... 18McMaster’s long-standing commitment to enriching the lives of students and the Hamilton community benefits everyone by Sharon Aschaiek

Features

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We can’t escape the media downpour about the economic storm, but our McMas-ter experts put it in context from a range of perspectives starting on page 16.

In a renovated section of the H.G. Thode Library of Science and Engineering, students enjoy lively discussion in one of the areas that make up the new social and academic environment of today’s McMaster libraries. See our story on page 14.

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ContributorsSharon Aschaiek, Trudi Down ‘71, Carolyn Eyles, Peter George ’96, Wendy Hostein ’04, Jason Jones, Jeanie MacFarlane, Michael McKinnon, Karen McQuigge ’90, Christine Palka ’08, Chantall Van Raay, Beth Webel ’84, Dana Yates

Advertising SalesSandra RodwellOffice of Public Relations 905-525-9140 ext. 24073

Officers, Alumni AssociationBeth Webel ’84, president; Joseph A. Stephen ’84, past-president; David Adames’92, first vice-president; Rebecca Bentham ’02, second vice-president; Don Bridgman’78, finance officer; Sheila Smith ’90, executive councillor; Maria Topalovic ’08, executive councillor; Anne Plessl ’79, executive councillor. Representatives to the University Senate:Lily Fong ’83, Jay Graydon ’71, Earl Cochrane ’64, Maureen Harmer ’66. Representatives to the University Board of Governors: Quentin Broad ’86, Lauren Cuddy ’80, David Lazzarato ’79, Ellen M. Malcolmson ’83, Howard Shearer ’77 McMaster Times is published three times a year (Winter, Spring and Fall) by the Office of Public Relations in co-operation with the McMaster Alumni Association. It is sent free of charge to University alumni and friends. Non-alumni subscriptions are available at $15 (Canada and U.S.A.) and $20 (foreign). Please make cheques payable to McMaster University.

Ideas and opinions published in the McMaster Times do not necessarily reflect those of the editor, the McMaster Alumni Association or the University. Letters and editorial contributions are welcomed. National and local advertisers are invited.

Editorial communications: The Editor, McMaster Times, Public Relations Office, Chester New Hall, Room 111, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L9. Tel: 905-525-9140, ext. 22959Fax: 905-521-1504 E-mail: [email protected] www.mcmaster.ca/ua/opr/times/Canada Post Publications Mail 1473638Postmaster: Send all returns to McMaster Universityc/o Advancement Services, T-27Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8

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The wood in this product comes from well-managed forests, independently certified in accordance with the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council.

PublisherJudith Chopra Art DirectorJD Howell ’04

On the Cover 2008 was a banner year for McMaster libraries. The Uni-versity won the Excellence in Academic Libraries Award, library projects across campus were recognized, individual librarians were lauded and library rankings rose. In a renovated section of Thode Library, McMaster’s University chief librarian, Jeff Trzeciak, right, poses with students (top left to lower left) Jac-queline Sing Woon Ho, Nathan Souza and Andrea Kong. See our story on page 14. Cover photograph by JD Howell ’04

Letters to the editor I am writing to express my disappointment over misrepresen-tation of a supposed “Aboriginal welcome from a Murri Na-tion representative” described in a photo caption in the Win-ter ‘08 McMaster Times. The photo (page 5) shows President Peter George touching noses with a man in traditional dress. Although President George is at a conference in Australia, I believe the man he is greeting is a New Zealand Maori. Tim Lawrence ‘04 Editor: Quite right: Peter George was photographed at a conference in Adelaide, Australia, at a dinner hosted by the New Zealand delegation. Thank you and other writers for the correction. I was disgusted to see the gruesome front page picture on the Winter ’09 Times….I hope that in the future McMaster Times will print the front page with something … that is worthy of such a great University. Barbara Nethercot I question the logic of having birth announcements in the Alumni Album of the McMaster Times. Your magazine runs a series of well written articles and informative material. These writings are then followed by some rather trivial alumni happenings. I would think it should be reserved for outstanding achievements. Things that come to mind are writing a book, high profile job promotions, research work, community service etc. Mary Pastushyn

Editor: we would be happy to hear from readers. What do you think is appropriate content for the Alumni Album?

I enjoyed the Winter ’09 issue of the McMaster Times, but discovered that my recent book (Nature’s Clocks) is men-tioned on page 35 using the wrong first name. My first name is John, although I go by (and the book uses) my middle name, Doug. The article uses Bruce - perhaps there is an-other Macdougall who graduated in 1968? Doug Macdougall ’68


What’s the role of a university in society? It’s a question that’s been asked for centuries and the answer has evolved over time. We teach, do research, create new knowledge, help to shape good citizens and encourage creative, innovative and critical thinking in all we do. The modern university has a more complex role, and the expectations of our universities and the impact they have on our well-being as a society is expanding at a significant pace. As Canada tries to find the best path through the global recession, both the federal and provincial governments have recognized that strengthening universities is good for short-term economic stimulus and for long-term prosperity and sustainability. Each level of government has committed billions of dollars to infrastructure renewal and development on campuses, and these investments will pay great dividends to our students, our researchers and our communities. Whether you grew up in Hamilton, moved to our city to attend McMaster, or relocated to Hamilton for your career, you’ve seen a lot of change in our city. One of the most far-reaching developments is the transition from a manufacturing to a knowledge-based economy. It means that McMaster has become one of the most significant economic drivers in Hamilton, one of the largest employers and a catalyst in our economic renewal and revitalization. The McMaster Innovation Park, the development of commercial products from research discoveries, our support of the arts community and our ability to attract highly-skilled workers from around the world all contribute to the evolution of the economy of Hamilton and the surrounding region.

McMaster is proud to be located in Hamilton, and our ambition is to have even stronger and deeper connections to our community. If you haven’t been to Hamilton recently, perhaps it’s time to come back for a visit. Of course a stop at McMaster is a must. You can check out our new Ron Joyce Stadium and David Braley Athletic Centre, our University Student Centre, the Michael DeGroote Centre for Learning, our Museum of Art or just stroll the grounds and enjoy the tree collection. And don’t forget Alumni Weekend – May 22 to 24! Fill in the day with an arts crawl down James Street North, a visit to Westdale Village or the antique stores on Locke Street, a picnic at Webster’s Falls or one of the 64 other waterfalls within the city, a tour of the Warplane Heritage Museum, the Art Gallery of Hamilton or the Marine Discovery Centre or roller-blading at Bay Front Park. But make sure you come back to Mac: I hope to see you on campus soon.

President’s Message

Peter George, President,McMaster University

Time to reconnect with Hamilton: come back to Mac! JD How

ell

The university plays an important role as an economic driver in Hamilton, says President Peter George, inviting alumni to take a new look at the city.


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Suzanne Crosta, dean of Humanities, is joined by Tracy, Tianna, and John Marinucci ‘80, President Peter George and Paul Bates, dean of the DeGroote School of Business.

Grants honour parents’ belief in education and hard workAn Oakville couple’s desire to celebrate their parents’ commitment to education will help a business student and an arts student pay for their education next year. Alumnus John Marinucci ’80, director and former president and CEO of New Flyer Industries Inc. and his wife, Tracy, have donated $260,000 to establish two academic grants in memory of their parents. Their parents never had the op-portunity to go to university but were strong believers in the value of educa-tion. “We wanted to honour our parents,” said John, who earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree. “They valued higher education and because they didn’t have the opportunity to attend [university] themselves we thought this was the most appropriate way to honour their spirit.” The Guerino and Anna Maria Mari-nucci Academic Grant and the Barbara Patricia Peckham Academic Grant will reward disciplined students who exhibit a strong work ethic and dedication to higher learning – traits that the couple’s

parents admired in others and fostered in their own children. John’s parents were immigrants, busi-ness people who taught themselves English and the customs of Canada. John considered his mom an “entrepreneur-ial spirit” and remembered his father as hard-working and community-minded, often serving as treasurer for commu-nity clubs. The Guerino and Anna Maria Marinucci Academic Grant will com-memorate John’s parents by rewarding an MBA student who shows high academic achievement, financial need and commu-nity or student leadership. Tracy’s mother, Barbara, was a lover of the arts. She is fondly remembered as a creative individual with a zeal for paint-ing, drawing and singing – both Tracy and John admired her beautiful singing voice. The Barbara Patricia Peckham Aca-demic Grant will be awarded to a student who shares a passion for the arts, and who demonstrates financial need and academic excellence.

When asked what sort of students should receive the grants, the Marinuccis’ daughter Tianna, 9, said: “My grandpar-ents liked real down-to-earth people,” which reflects her grandparent’s high esteem for people who do not shy away from struggle. John and Tracy are proud of their four children – Tianna, the youngest, Jenna, 15, Santino, 19 (a second-year sociol-ogy student at McMaster), and Michael, 28. The couple believe the children understand the importance of initiative and perseverance – characteristics they learned from their grandparents. “Our parents were hard-working people with integrity; they respected people who worked and went to school at the same time,” Tracy said. “They respected and had affection for people who were willing to help themselves. We wish to carry on this legacy.”–Christine Palka ‘08

JD Howell


Philomathia Foundation encourages exploration

A donation from alumna Marcy McCall McBain ’00 will fund a new laboratory for spinal cord research.

Wilfred Chung ’75 notes that in difficult times, it’s important to invest wisely, which is why his foun-dation has chosen to invest in scholarships.

If your Greek is a little rusty, you may not immediately know that “philomathia” means “love of learning.” But it becomes clear that it’s an ideal name for the foun-dation established by Wilfred Chung ’75 and his four brothers. The mission of the Philomathia Foundation is to “promote hu-man harmony and well-being through ad-vocacy for, and support of, education and research.” Wilfred Chung attended McMaster as a foreign student in the 1970s, and his educa-tion here opened the door to a successful career in medicine. “It is my loyalty as an alumnus,” he says, “that prompted me to make McMaster University the first ben-eficiary of the Philomathia Foundation’s Canadian scholarship program.” McMaster was fortunate indeed to be the recipient of one of the foundation’s first donations, a gift of $105,000 that will fund six gradu-ate fellowships valued at $17,500 each – two per year for the next three years. Dr. Chung says establishing these prestigious awards at McMaster will further the foun-dation’s goal of encouraging bright minds to explore and uncover new ideas and so-

lutions in science, technology, the humani-ties and philosophy. The Chung brothers wanted to ensure the fellowships were open to qualified can-didates representing all six of McMaster’s Faculties. “Brilliant ideas can come from

people in all departments and fields of study,” Dr. Chung says, and he was pleased that the inaugural Philomathia Fellowships were awarded to students in very different areas – Allan Bayntun in Physics and As-

The McCall MacBain Foundation, based in Geneva, has announced a generous gift of $250,000 in support of spinal cord research at McMaster. Thanks to this gift, McMaster’s Centre for Spinal Cord Injury, Education, Research and Rehabilitation will feature the McCall MacBain Neurophysiology Labora-tory, the first of its kind in Canada.

The Foundation’s commitment was greeted warmly

by Neil Mc-

Cartney, chair of the Department of Kinesi-ology, who said: “This will be an extremely important facility for us, and it’s especially pleasing that it will bear the name of one of our own kinesiology graduates!” Marcy McCall MacBain ’00, who earned an honours Bachelor of Kinesiology, says the grant “is an opportunity to improve the lives of those affected by spinal cord injury. “During my time at McMaster I was for-tunate to work with the SCI population and was inspired to launch my first career in the rehabilitation of brain and spinal cord injuries. The Department of Kinesiology is a deserving recipient of this grant as their

commitment to innovative re-search in this field is among the best in the world, and it contin-

ues to grow while having a significant impact

on the lives of many. My sincerest regards to the faculty, staff and

research participants at McMaster University and best wishes for every success.”

New laboratory for spinal cord injury, education, research

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tronomy and Nicholas Holm in English and Cultural Studies. Wilfred Chung and his brothers have some exciting plans for the Philomathia Foundation, and have just announced the establishment of The Philomathia Travel Scholarship at McMaster, an annual award of $5,000 for a student to study and travel abroad in order to broaden his or her knowledge and perspective on the world. “We hope to promote learning and discov-ery from a global perspective,” says Dr. Chung. “In these difficult times,” Dr. Chung ob-serves, “it is more important than ever to invest wisely. There is no better return on an investment than what we receive from donations that nurture bright young minds. We need them to bring us out of this finan-cial crisis and shape our future.” The Chung brothers are long-time phi-lanthropists who have made significant donations to academic institutions in Hong Kong, the United States, the United King-dom and Canada. Their personal interests and expertise are in the areas of engineer-ing, business, science and medicine. Wil-fred Chung studied chemistry at McMaster and went on to become an emergency phy-sician. He continues to serve as the vice-chair of the board at St. Joseph Continuing Care Centre in Cornwall, Ont.


The quality of teaching at McMaster has once again received national recognition. Two McMaster professors, Nick Bontis and Carolyn Eyles, have been recognized with this year’s 3M National Teaching Fellowships for bringing inspirational power to the classroom. Eyles, professor of geography in the Faculty of Science, and Bontis, associate professor of strategy in the DeGroote School of Business, are two of 10 win-ners of the 3M Fellowship for 2009, the most prestigious recognition of excel-lence and leadership in Canadian univer-sity teaching. “It’s a remarkable achievement, es-pecially for one university to receive two such awards in a year,” says Peter George, president of McMaster. “Teach-ing is important work. A good teacher inspires, and both Carolyn and Nick have mastered ways to inject passion into their students. We are extremely proud of both of them.”

Eyles attributes her passion for teach-ing to her students and to her willingness to take risks. “I depend greatly on my students,” she says. “I listen to them and incorporate their ideas into my teaching. I also get a huge amount of encouragement from McMaster to ‘go try it.’ It’s easy to take risks when you have the support of your university.” Bontis says creating a high-energy, interactive learning environment engages students. “Technology, especially computer simulation, takes lessons beyond theory and creates a totally different learning experience,” says Bontis. “Staying on the cutting edge–whether it’s about the latest goings-on in the business world or new software that companies are using–ensures that I give students the skills and the knowledge they need to hit their ca-reer path running.”

A glimpse into the lives of those who lived in Nazi concentration camps will be possible through a new and unique virtual museum at McMaster. Through a generous donation from Madeleine and Monte Levy, McMaster has acquired a remarkable archive relating to the Resist-ance movement, underground literature, concentration camps, anti-Semitism and propaganda during the Second World War. Consuls-general of Israel, France, Poland and Belgium, Hamilton’s mayor and members of the Jewish community came to McMaster in early February to celebrate the announcement. The Resistance Collection covers the period between 1933 and 1945, when mil-lions of people were interned and died in Nazi concentration camps throughout Europe. Nearly 2,000 letters from or to prisoners in Dachau, Buchenwald and Auschwitz, as well as in Gestapo pris-ons and POW camps, comprise much of the material. There is also a diary of the Nazi evacuation from Ravensbrück (the women’s concentration camp), and even a hand-fashioned recipe book, which pris-oners exchanged to pass the time.

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University NewsRichard Fung

McMaster’s Nick Bontis and Carolyn Eyles earned Canada’s most prestigious award for university teaching, the 3M National Teaching Fellowships.

A few of the items from the period 1933 to 1945, including thousands of letters, which are now part of the McMaster Resistance Collection.

Two McMaster professors receive Canada’s highest teaching award

McMaster to create a unique virtual museum

JD Howell


The private collection was acquired from Michel Brisebois, a former Montreal antiquarian book collector and rare book librarian at Library and Archives Canada. The University’s plans for the collection include a virtual museum of the Holocaust and the Resistance as well as a post-doctoral fellowship through the University Library, Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Groups at the University recently sat down to work out a unique approach to inspire a respectful community on campus. The McMaster Peace Initiative was developed in the context of events surrounding Is-raeli Apartheid Week in 2008. A number of organizations signed onto the initiative, committing to create an en-vironment of mutual understanding and to promote peaceful co-existence. President Peter George, McMaster Muslims for Peace and Justice, the Jewish Students Asso-ciation, the Muslim Student Association, Israel on Campus and the Jewish Faculty Association all signed the document. The groups went even further in their undertaking, agreeing that if any hate or intimidation occurs, hatred is promoted, or physical acts that endanger the safety of others occur on campus, or if property is damaged, then a response would be issued to condemn the act.

Half a century ago, Ron Gillespie, pro-fessor emeritus in the Department of Chemistry, decided to move from Uni-versity College in London to McMaster on the advice of Harry Thode and Arthur Bourns. “McMaster allowed me to be my own boss and acquire the funding I needed to carry out my own independent research,” says Gillespie. He has taught thousands of under-graduate students and supervised roughly 70 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at McMaster. He has written more than 390 articles and six books, and received more than 25 awards, honours and fellowships – in-cluding the Order of Canada. Now retired, Gillespie continues his research and stays active in the area of molecular geometry. He will be honoured at the annual meeting of the Canadian Society of Chemistry to be held in Hamilton later this year – coinciding with his 85th birthday.

McMaster’s planetarium has returned to orbit, re-opening with a redesigned space and breathtaking software to enhance the night-sky experience. It’s come a long way since the days of projecting the night sky onto a war-surplus parachute, as it did in the early 1950s. Located in the basement of the Burke Science Building, the William J. McCallion Planetarium now digitally projects a representation of the night sky onto its domed ceiling. The planetarium’s purpose is to explain star systems and planetary activity to students in Physics & Astronomy, but is also a popular attraction for the public, riveted by the mystery and awe of the universe. With only 35 seats, two evenings of shows held each month quickly sell out. The new software not only allows audiences glimpses of basic sky features such as stars, planets and constellations, it can show the night sky as it looked in the past or will look in the future, from both Earth and other planets. It can simu-late the movement of celestial bodies in real-time and explore features such as meteor showers or objects in the so-called Hubble Deep Field, which were beyond the capacity of previous planetarium pro-jectors. For show information and schedules, go to www.physics.mcmaster.ca/planetarium or e-mail [email protected].

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Stellar software lights up the sky

A new approach to peace at McMaster

McMaster’s Indigenous Studies Program and the Aboriginal Students Health Sci-ences Office held their annual Aboriginal Health Conference in February. The event drew international and national stakehold-ers working on Aboriginal health dispar-ities, research, policy, and practice. They came together to consider the ways traditional Indigenous approaches to health and Western bio-medicine can complement each other. The leaders spent the day networking with some 100 McMaster undergraduate, graduate and medical students, and traditional ap-prentices, sharing experiences, exposing students to future career paths and men-torship. The event provided a venue for traditional healers and Aboriginal leaders to discuss future links and initiatives be-tween their two communities; share best practices in Aboriginal health research; create a forum for students to participate in future dialogue and make recommenda-tions for the next year’s event. Participants included Dr. Malcolm King of the Institute of Aboriginal Peoples Health, traditional knowledge holders from the U.S. and Canada, Dr. Marcia Anderson of the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada and Paulette Tremblay of the National Aboriginal Health Organization.

Conference targets Aboriginal health

Professor Ron Gillespie came to McMaster in 1959.

Gillespie marks 50 years at McMaster

The City of Hamilton has voted to partici-pate in the Ontario bid for the 2015 Pan Am Games, approving a plan to build a new stadium and velodrome. In March, McMaster’s Board of Governors also ap-proved the University’s participation in the bid, which could include a new 50-metre pool on campus.

Pan Am bid gets city and University go-ahead


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McMaster has taken another stride into the future of robotic surgery. The federal Networks of Centres of Excellence has awarded $14.8 million to McMaster for development and commercialization of novel surgical robotic systems. McMaster’s

Centre for Surgical Invention and Innova-tion (CSII) based at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton will develop and commercialize a new class of robotic platforms for tar-geted, less invasive surgical and medical interventions. The centre will work with corporate partner MDA, the world leader in space robotics and developers of the famous Canadarm. The development of new technolo-gies is expected to dramatically improve surgical results, with a reduction in both post-operative pain and complications of surgery. Dr. Mehran Anvari, an international leader in remote and minimal access surgery and professor of surgery at Mc-Master’s Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, is director of the CSII. “This investment by the federal govern-ment will improve the quality and access to health care for all Canadians,” said Anvari. “It is also a welcome investment in the current economic climate, creating high-tech jobs and a new, innovative bio-tech industry.”

McMaster has a long tradition of research collaborations that span the globe. Now, two of McMaster’s Research Chairs, Chris Wood and John Lavis, have been partnered with colleagues in developing countries to tackle pressing issues of international im-pact. Their expertise has been recognized by the International Research Chairs Initia-tive (IRCI), a leading-edge program spon-sored by Canada’s International Develop-ment Research Centre in collaboration with the Canada Research Chairs Program. Eight research teams were chosen from across Canada and around the world for the IRCI, and of those eight, McMaster was awarded two prestigious International Re-search Chair partnerships. Biologist Chris Wood, Canada Research Chair in Environment and Health, is paired with Adalto Bianchini of Brazil to battle increasing pollution in Brazil’s coastal areas. From what they learn at the Brazil site, they will determine what is applicable to the Hamilton Harbour cleanup. John Lavis, associate professor in the departments of clinical epidemiology & biostatistics and political science, is Can-ada Research Chair in Knowledge Transfer and Exchange. Lavis is partnered with Dr. Nelson Sewankambo, principal of the College of Health Sciences at Makerere University and a global leader in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa, to study how to turn health research into policy, which can mean the difference between life and death in Africa.

The Wayne C. Fox Distinguished Alumni Award honours a graduate of the De-Groote School of Business whose person-al accomplishments, reputation and char-acter have served to enhance McMaster’s reputation. This year the award will be presented to Neil Skelding ’88, president and CEO of RBC Insurance, on April 14 at the National Club in Toronto. The prestigious award honours and rec-ognizes Skelding’s career success, as well as his passion for the University and the School of Business, including his role as a member of the Cabinet Executive for The Campaign for McMaster University.

Dramatic boost for robotics at McMaster

Skelding recognized Neil Skelding ’88 receives the Wayne C. Fox

Award.

Fiona McNeill has an ambitious vision for research at McMaster. McNeill, a professor of medical physics and applied radiation sciences, has been appointed McMaster’s new associate vice-president of research, and begins her term with the assertion that she wants “to build on the Univer-sity’s extraordinary research success so McMaster is recognized as the undisputed leading research university in Canada.”

GE Healthcare has chosen Hamilton to be the first site in the world to receive new prototype technologies for use in a mo-lecular breast imaging research program. McMaster researchers John Valliant and Mark Levine, together with Karen Gulenchyn of Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, will design and lead clinical trials to evaluate new technologies using molecular imaging probes that target breast cancer. The cutting-edge strategy has the po-tential to find very small tumours, leading to early intervention. Trials will be geared towards high-risk women who are not currently well served by mammography.

Dr. Sonia Anand, a professor in the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine and researcher with the Population Health Re-search Institute, led a group of Canadian and British researchers who pinpointed specific genes and their association with an increased risk of heart attack. Their research--The INTERHEART Gen-etics Study—received international media coverage. The results show a “significant” association between four genes and high cholesterol levels.

Blood test may predict risk of heart attack

McNeill becomes AVP research

Ontario leading fight against breast cancer

Researchers take on international projects

If the Ontario bid is successful, the Uni-versity would also have access to Games funds to help build the pool. External funds will be used to fund the balance of the project. The current campus pool in the Ivor Wynne Centre is 40 years old and requires major work if it is going to be useable in the long term. The pool is used by stu-dents, the McMaster swim team, members of the McMaster community, children who attend McMaster’s summer camps as well as community swim teams and clubs. It is the only 50-metre pool in the city.


The DeGroote School of Business has been named one of the top 50 business schools in North America in a survey of international employers. The QS Global 200 Business Schools 2009 highlights the schools around the world most popular with employers. The list is compiled from an annual survey of global human resource managers and line managers who recruit MBA graduates. QS’s focus on the employer perspec-tive offers a unique insight into the value of the MBA. “Placing in the top 50 means that companies recognize the quality of the education offered at DeGroote and are reaping benefits by hiring our graduates,” says Dean Paul Bates.

Karmali honoured for microbiology

Perimeter names Berlinsky

Two firsts for engineering

Alumna named emerging explorer

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Awards Honours

McMaster’s Marauder men’s volleyball team defeated the Queen’s University Golden Gaels to win the Ontario University Athletics men’s championship. Although coach Dave Preston had lost five players from last year’s winning team, the Marauders were able once again to triumph in the championships. McMaster swept the best-of-three playoff series for the Forsyth Memorial Trophy. McMaster’s women’s volleyball team ended the season with the silver medal in the Ontario University Athletics final against York.

Mohamed Karmali, a professor of pathol-ogy and molecular medicine, has been named the recipient of the 2009 BD Award for Research in Clinical Microbiology from the American Society for Microbiology. Karmali’s groundbreaking discoveries have improved understanding and diagnosis across many medical fields.

Canada’s Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics has named John Berlinsky as its academic program director. Berlinsky is a professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at McMaster. He will manage undergraduate and graduate courses, and will be responsible for developing educa-tional partnerships with other Canadian and international institutions.

Two teams from McMaster qualified for the Canadian Engineering Competition after placing first in their categories at the 2009 Ontario Competition. Lindsey Kettel and Cory Minkhorst won in the Innovative Design category for their collapsible bicycle trailer that folds up and locks over the rear tire when not in use. Getting more commuters to cycle to work was the motivation behind the invention of the collapsible trailer, answering the need to carry gear around town. This is the second time in three years engineer-ing students from McMaster have won the Innovative Design category at the Ontario competition. C.J. Smith and Justin Sma won the fiercely competitive Parliamentary Debate competition, defeating the team from the University of Toronto to take home $1,500 and the coveted Silver Tongue Award.

Beverly Goodman ’06, who earned her PhD from McMaster’s School of Geography and Earth Sciences, has been named an Emerging Explorer by National Geographic magazine. The program recognizes and supports uniquely gifted and inspiring adventurers, scientists, photographers and storytellers who are making a significant contribution to world knowledge through exploration, while still early in their ca-reers. Each Emerging Explorer receives an award of $10,000 to assist with their re-search and further exploration. Goodman was recognized for her work exploring the complex ways nature and humans interact on coastlines, more specif-ically, the causes and frequency of tsunami events. At the moment, Goodman is in the middle of the Red Sea as a researcher for the Interuniversity for Marine Sciences. For the future, Goodman plans to continue to work on coastal environment questions that are relevant in both archaeological and modern contexts.

Men’s volleyball team wins championship

Walter Craig, McMaster professor of math-ematics and statistics, has earned one of nine Killam Research Fellowships for 2009 to study Hamiltonian dynamics in math-ematical physics. Among Canada’s most distinguished research awards, the Can-ada Council for the Arts Killam Research Fellowships enable Canada’s best scientists and scholars to devote two years to full-time research. Recipients are chosen by the Killam Selection Committee of 15 eminent scientists and scholars representing a broad range of disciplines.

Killam Award for mathematics

DeGroote on international top 50


While some may only have one calling in life, James Orbinski ’90 has had two: medicine and humanitarianism. What’s more, he has combined those voca-tions to help alleviate suffering and save countless lives in the developing world. Dr. Orbinski enrolled in McMaster’s School of Medicine in the late 1980s. Throughout his studies, he was profoundly affected by the guidance and expertise of his teachers. Later, he would draw on their lessons as a member of the global relief agency Médecins Sans Fron-tières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF). During the early 1990s, Dr. Orbinski personally witnessed horrific tragedy. In Somalia, it took the form of famine and

civil war. In Rwanda, it was genocide – an experience that left him changed, and deter-mined to effect change. In 1999, as international presi-dent of MSF, Dr. Orbinski ac-cepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the organization. From then on, he has served on the front line in the struggle to provide health care to the world’s neediest populations. He is a founder of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initia-tive, a not-for-profit pharmaceu-tical research and development entity, and co-founder of Dig-nitas International, a non-gov-ernmental organization focused on the community-based treat-ment, care and prevention of HIV in the developing world.

What moments or experiences from your time at McMaster stand out most favourably in your mind? I remember the incredible faculty. People like Vic Neufeld, Jose Venturelli, Jack Rosenfeld and Thomas Muckle. They were incredibly enthusiastic and committed sci-entists and educators. It’s a gift when men-tors genuinely want you to understand the responsibility that your knowledge brings to bear.

How did your medical training at McMaster influence your thinking and the direction of your career? It enormously influenced how I see medi-cine, and the social, political and philo-sophical contexts in which it is practiced.

You have witnessed great suffering through genocide, famine, civil war and the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa. In fact, in the documen-tary “Triage,” you say these experiences have filled you with rage and sorrow. Whereas others might retreat from tragic and traumatic circumstances, what draws you toward them and motivates you to remain actively engaged? Curiosity. To be curious is to live fully, whether that is through science, medicine, humanitarianism or by challenging the broader social and political contexts in which health care exists or doesn’t exist.

Seeing the dignity of others

Meet McMaster

By Dana Yates


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cMaster

What field experience has had the biggest impact on you? One day, during the Rwandan genocide, there were so many casualties that we tri-aged them in the street outside the hospi-tal. One woman had been raped, and had brutal machete wounds over her entire body. While I was suturing her, she winced and I suddenly saw her as a full person, not just a patient. I realized what she had experienced and it overwhelmed me. When I turned away for a moment, she reached out to touch me, to soothe me. It was a powerful moment. It captured the good that can exist between human beings and helped me understand the re-lationship between humanitarianism and political context. And to be unafraid of challenging that context.

Most people don’t know what it’s like to travel to Sweden and receive the Nobel Peace Prize, as you did in 1999 on behalf of Médecins Sans Frontières. Can you describe that experience and your feelings at the time? A lot happened that day. Two MSF aid workers were kidnapped in Sierra Leone, there was an ongoing political crisis in Kosovo and I accepted the Prize on behalf of MSF for its work during the previous 30 years. It was an important moment.

The Prize money was put into researching and developing drugs for neglected dis-eases in the developing world.

As the co-founder and chair of Dignitas Inter-national, how do you think the current state of the global economy is affecting the work of your organization? For many charities, a dollar last year is worth 50 cents this year. That has a direct and immediate impact on peoples’ access to health care. It means people suffer and, in many cases, die, unnecessarily. To me, the financial crisis illustrates the need for sustainable funding for international de-velopment. When the lives of millions of people depend on the privilege of others, it leads to egregious inequity.

Your efforts have served as an inspiration to many. Who inspires you? Kabir, a 15th-century Indian Muslim poet. I find his understanding of the world to be beautiful and deeply inspiring. It’s about seeing yourself relative to everyone who came before you and who will come after you. It’s also about understanding that your decision to acquiesce or engage affects the world.

The average person may not know where or how to start to make a difference in the world. What advice can you offer them? No one is responsible for everything, but everyone can be responsible for something. Choose your something and do everything you can within your means to bring about change. Be specific and go beyond cursory support. Making a donation or signing a petition often becomes a blanket absolution for doing nothing more. Join a non-gov-ernmental organization or a political party. And if you can’t find one that matches your perspective, start your own. The late American philosopher William James once said, “The great use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it.” What would you like to outlast you? The idea of seeing the dignity of others. It doesn’t mean you don’t have enemies. And it doesn’t mean that, in certain circum-stances, you don’t act to counter what your enemy is doing. But even as you act, you must honour the dignity of your enemy. And, in doing so, you honour the possibil-ity of peace and of beginning again with your former enemy. Dana Yates is a Toronto-based freelance writer.

Today, James Orbinski is a research scientist and associate professor of family and community medicine and political science at the University of Toronto. He was the subject of the feature-length documentary, Triage: Dr. James Orbinski’s Humanitarian Dilemma, which screened at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. His book, An Imperfect Offering: Humanitarian Action for the 21st Century (Doubleday Canada), was published in 2008 and earned the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing in Canada. An Imperfect Offering was also nominated for the 2008 Governor General’s Literary Award for English non-fiction. Seeing the dignity of others

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Ian Crysler

Jason Jones

The end of Fort Book

and the rise of Home Base

Two-storey windows change the outlook dramati-cally in the renovated Health Sciences Library.


Libraries were once rather like warehouses. You remember: the books came in; they went out. You slipped in and out too, silently reading and working in the spaces between the stacks and displays of the collections. You thumbed the card catalogues. Perhaps you trod quietly upon the foetid orange car-pet of the Thode Library–or perhaps when you were here, it was the bright, happening orange carpet? Brace yourself. McMaster’s rapidly evolving libraries are far from the old model. They’re about put-ting the needs of students and faculty first – about connecting them to what they need today. That can mean a feature as simple as a plug for a library-loaned laptop to one as complicated as help for a thorny research problem – with speed, empathy and exper-tise. The University’s libraries are working hard to attract users, involve them and provide a vibrant intellectual home base for them. And it’s working. Library use is up (by 12 per cent in one statistical snapshot of the H.G. Thode Library of Science and Engineering’s use last fall). It’s adapt or perish, explained McMas-ter University Librarian Jeffrey Trzeciak.

Studies in contrast The libraries themselves provide stimu-lating contrasts in approach. In the freshly renovated first floor of the Thode Library – dubbed the Learning Commons @ Thode – convivial groupings of bright and funky furnishings, gleaming new Macintosh com-puters and a time-saving, one-stop help desk are giving the 30-year-old red-brick facility a colourful new lease on life. Fuelling the room’s brain-storming sessions and solitary study is a café nestled alongside the various work areas – featuring diner-style seating that can double as desk space – playfully named The Reactor, after the research in-terests of former McMaster President Harry Thode, the library’s namesake. The Thode Library’s continuing transfor-mations, explained Trzeciak, are designed to appeal to today’s students: “constantly

connected” and highly social. They want to move around, to confer. Along with faculty, at Thode they will hone the 21st-century techniques for navigating their digital world and the world around them. Trzeciak refers to these skills as fluencies -- in handling in-formation, new media, numeracy and spatial concepts. And, he added, the facilities will be “seriously cool.” In fact, the University’s libraries were al-ready deemed “best of the best” in North America when McMaster became the first Canadian institution to win the 2008 Excel-lence in Academic Libraries Award from the Association of College and Research Librar-ies. Previous recipients included Cornell and the University of Virginia. “McMaster’s libraries have developed into the world-class libraries the University deserves,” said Trze-ciak, who came to the job 2-1/2 years ago from his previous post as associate dean of the library system at Wayne State University in Detroit. A sense of energy and possibility infuses Thode’s eclectic surroundings. “There’s life in it, fun, as well as play,” noted Catherine Baird, Marketing, Communication and Out-reach Librarian. “Maybe this hasn’t been traditional in the language of the academic world.” But scientific discovery, she added, can be sparked by the unexpected. Connections, both small and large, will continue through the two- to three-year overhaul of Thode, which will proceed as funding allows (changes to date have cost just over $1 million). Users will have more separate high-tech rooms for group study, instruction and rehearsing presentations, plus podcasting facilities and a small audito-rium. The four-floor library will become an even more intensive learning centre when it wel-comes the University’s new Integrated Sci-ence Program (iSci) starting in September this year, as well as two teaching-support programs: the Centre for Leadership in Learning and the Learning Technology Re-source Centre.

A beacon of light In another recently revamped space, Mc-Master’s Health Sciences Library, director Liz Bayley noted that besides improving services and connecting classroom and library-based learning, there is another reason why stu-dents are drawn to new-style libraries. Some-times it feels, she said, that “there’s not a lot of space just for students, so they are gravi-tating toward the beautiful, appealing spaces in the renovated libraries.” The library’s two-storey, glass-walled Jan and Mien Heer-sink Reading Pavilion is flooded with natural light, furnished with classic armchairs and

features large etched-glass artwork and an intricate whalebone sculpture. “That used to be a solid wall. Now it shines and it’s a beacon of light,” Bayley observed. The City of Hamilton has given the pavilion an architectural Award of Excellence. The library, which opened in 1971, com-pleted its recent renovation in May 2007 at a cost of $8.6 million and focused in part on creating an open, elegant area for special events. Striking a balance among the vari-ous needs the building had to serve was essential, said Bayley. And the approach has worked, as the library has seen traffic increase between 36 and 50 per cent since the renovations. Library users, starting at a central help desk, can cluster around com-puters on the upper floor or collaborate in the expanded – and steadily booked – group study rooms, Bayley noted, but they may also establish distinct personal space, sitting quietly facing the vista outside the pavilion.

“There are so many different constituen-cies,” she explained. In a completely differ-ent space within the library is tucked the small C. Barber Mueller History of Health and Medicine Room, modelled on the cosi-est idea of what a library room can be. Cher-ry-wood bookshelves line the walls, club-chairs are drawn up to a fireplace, and the lighting is clear but soft. Users who choose this environment “feel comfort – they want a library like this,” Bayley said. “Students have told us they want books both online and in print. For in-depth study, they still want to be able to haul them off the shelf.”And what do users say? “After the renova

Thode Library’s rental laptops make for easy collaboration.

Jason Jones

continued on page 30

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The Rise of Home Base

How McMaster libraries are becoming great places for people today and in the future

by Jeanie MacFarlane

Surviving economic reces-sion can be tough–but it’s nothing new.

According to McMaster experts, while some drastic measures may need to be taken, recessions come and go, and we can learn from what we know about recessions. Teal McAteer, McMaster associate profes-sor of human resources and management, who helps individuals and companies deal with job loss, says during economic down-turns, people need to change their expecta-tions. “If you want to change something but you can’t, then change the way you look at it. You cannot change the chaos of life today in 2009, that’s a reality. So therefore, change how you look at this new reality,” she says. “Success is how you measure it.” For those having to make drastic changes, it’s important to seek out personal resourc-es, says McAteer. During recessions, alcohol abuse, emotional and family tensions reg-ister in higher rates of personal and family problems. “Professional and personal tran-sitional support, specific career transitional help and learning stress management tech-niques are key.” Overall, she points out, it comes down to your expectations. “How much you put into the effort determines how much you’ll get out of it.” She says people need to change their expectations and be creative about their job hunt. Above all, she says, be authentic. “Know who you are, your passions and your strengths. Right now everyone in an inter-view is talking about the horrible situations they face. If you understand the environ-ment and have emotional intelligence about it, you’ll blow them away if you can show how structured and forward thinking you are, and if you can demonstrate passions and strengths that can help them in this downturn.” While people should take precautions, it is also important not to panic, adds Mc-Master’s dean of Social Sciences, Charlotte Yates. “The economy will recover, but you may need to think about new areas of inter-est and new ways in which the skills that you have can be used somewhere else. Social sciences graduates, for example, end up with a set of very portable skills, such as writing, research, analytics and measure-ment, but often these grads don’t actually appreciate how portable their skills are, and that they can be applied to multiple settings.” And for those about to graduate, Yates says the best choice may be to stay in school and wait out the recession. For ex-

I will

surviveMcMaster experts share their

perspectives on today’s economic storm

by Chantall Van Raay

JD Howell


Déjà vu down underDéjà vu down under

ample, if you’re graduating with a three-year degree, she suggests staying in for another year and continue to graduate work. “Or at least have that in your back pocket and if you get a job you can always turn down the acceptance or do it part-time.” Mike Veall ’76, professor and chair of McMaster’s economics department, agrees. “There is evidence that there can be long-lasting adverse effects on those who gradu-ate during a recession, so for those deciding whether or not to continue with further edu-cation, the poor economy may sensibly tip the balance to additional studies.”

Back in the job market Remaining positive and viewing your situ-ation as a platform for next steps will be crucial in this time of upheaval. While luck is a factor in the job search, there are a lot of things people can do to increase their luck,” says alumni career coach Liz Koblyk ’05. “Have networking cards on hand, with your name, contact information, degree and area of expertise; take advantage of chance meetings and don’t underestimate the pow-er of weak links, because someone you have even a loose connection to has an entirely different set of information and contacts. You don’t necessarily need to be talking to CEOs to get a job, you just need to be trust-ed by someone they trust and that could be their child, their hairdresser or even their neighbour.” She offers practical advice for those on the job prowl, including being more active

in your job search and creative networking tactics. “When you’re networking you get to be a human being before you’re a resume.” She also suggest building a directory of em-ployers to apply to, “because you will have a much better chance of getting a job with a company that is not posting a vacancy than with one that is.” History is the best teacher The big questions are: How long will the recession last? and How worried should people be? Some believe the worst will end in 2009, while others feel the effects may be felt for years. While the Bank of Canada’s view is that there will be light at the end of the tunnel by the end of the year, others believe the recession could last as many as five years, says Veall. Given the uncertainty, many experts sug-gest people be cautious in their spending, “even though unfortunately such prudence may in itself contribute to a longer reces-sion,” Veall admits. McMaster economist William Scarth points to economist John Maynard Keyne’s “Para-dox of Thrift” theory. “It is prudent for peo-ple to save more in uncertain times. But as Keynes pointed out in the 1930s, if everyone cuts back spending, the recession will be even worse, and people’s expectations will be realized in a self-reinforcing fashion. Even knowing this, it is irrational at the individual level for individuals to try to reverse this. That is why it is government’s role to turn around such a pessimistic vicious circle.” Scarth is optimistic that government fiscal stimulus packages can do this, and also sup-ports deficit budgets. “When the problem is all over, however, we must have the political will to run some budget surpluses, so the government is in a good position to provide similar support in the future, the next time it will be needed.” McMaster mathematician Tom Hurd, on the other hand, is somewhat sceptical about stimulus packages and feels the United States government, for instance, has not been making good decisions for long-term investors. His worry is that by continuing to finance short-term consumption, the ris-ing U.S. debt will dramatically curb future growth. In fact, Hurd is wary of investing in the U.S. economy and believes it’s a sentiment shared by many investors who recently faced significant portfolio losses. “The investment climate is very shaky. People are not going to make major financial commitments at the moment.” But he encourages people to not feel too dissatisfied with the losses they’ve taken. “I think probably every investor in the past

year has done really poorly, but looking forward there is no reason to suggest that’s going to continue. The barn door has been opened, some horses have gone and we can’t recover those losses. But going forward I would say the fundamental philosophy is if you’re a long-term investor you still want to be mostly in equities and if you’re a short-term investor you may want to be in bonds.” Weaver suggests people read more history to avoid future crises or at least to save their own skin. “Charles Kindelberger’s book Ma-nias, Panics, and Crashes: a History of Finan-cial Crises ought to be mandatory reading for all bank executives–for that matter, any-one thinking of investing,” he says. At a recent seminar on the global financial crisis sponsored by McMaster’s Wilson Cen-tre for Canadian History, leading scholars of the international financial system grappled with the origins of the current crisis. Viv Nelles, McMaster’s L.R. Wilson Chair in Ca-nadian History, says participants concluded that history underscores the fact that crises, far from being rare or unusual events, have been quite common, and that stable, self-regulating, open markets turn out to be myths. “The Great Depression provides lessons of what not to do,” says Nelles, who helped organize the conference. “What I think is unusual is that as a financial phenomenon–

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I will survive

For those graduating and starting careers, McMaster’s Career Services, in partner-ship with the Alumni Association and Student Affairs, offers a range of services to alumni within five years of gradua-tion. Services include support for career exploration, networking, finding hidden job opportunities, polishing up resumes, writing persuasive cover letters, giving compelling interviews, career assess-ments and counselling and careerLINKS, a database of mentors who are willing to talk to graduates about their career path. Go to: careers.mcmaster.ca/alumni for details.

Help from McMaster for alumni just setting out


While Hurd and others look forward to make sense of the recession, others look back. McMaster historian John Weaver has studied a similar economic upheaval in 1890s Australia. Like the current re-cession – which some say is the result of unregulated credit markets taking excessive risks and leading to instability and collapse – the Australian state of Victoria relaxed its banking laws starting in the 1870s to allow loan companies to operate with fewer regulations. One result was a real estate bubble like the recent one in the U.S. When a panic started, financial institutions could not liquidate their assets and then would not lend to one another when deposi-tors started a run on a bank. The global banking crisis that began in August 2007, started when banks also stopped lending to one another because they didn’t trust the assets held by other banks.

Déjà vu down under


Banko Media


JD Howell

Since Hamilton brought McMaster to the city in 1930, the University’s commitment to be-ing a good citizen has grown deep and wide. It’s a busy two-way street of projects that knit the University into Hamilton and vice versa, with students learning from their participa-tion and people, neighbourhoods and the whole city benefitting from the energy of McMaster’s constant activity. We’ve taken a tiny sample of the many ways McMaster’s outreach can be felt. You might think of them as just the tip of the iceberg—six out of 600 ways the University connects and shares across the region each day. Hamilton is evolving from a manufacturing to a knowledge economy and McMaster is at the core of that transformation. On May 6 the second annual Hamilton Economic Summit will once again bring together more than 200 community leaders to address the city’s main economic challenges. McMaster President Peter George is the co-chair, with Ron Foxcroft ’01(Hon.) McMaster faculty and senior staff will also be there to share their expertise, and work with community part-ners to find solutions and new paths forward. “We’re living in a creative economy, and it’s essential to have strong relationships be-tween community and all levels of education. Hamilton is blessed with an internationally renowned university, and leveraging the Uni-versity to move up the value chain as a (me-tropolis) is really a part of the strategy,” says Richard Allen, senior summit advisor. The University will host the summit’s inau-

gural community day, introducing students and youth to Hamilton’s evolving economy at the McMaster Innovation Park, a redevel-opment project a few kilometres from the University with a focus on research excel-lence in advanced materials and manufactur-ing, nanotechnology and bioscience.“We’re inviting youth to help create the Hamilton of tomorrow, and what better place to learn how to do that than at a site of such innovation?” Allen says. A different kind of engagement takes place every fall when McMaster’s Career Link pro-gram unfolds. Run by the University’s career services department in tandem with Canada Career Week, Career Link gives local em-ployers and students a chance to connect. “It’s a job shadow week where students spend a half day or full day with an em-ployer,” says Angela Fortino ’87, employment relations officer in career services. “Let’s say they want to work in a bank or a finance company – they meet a few people and be-gin networking… sometimes that relation-ship carries on.” Open to students in all years and all programs, the initiative attracts about 100 students who gain first-hand professional insights in workplaces such as engineering companies, law firms, non-profit agencies, newspapers, hospitals and government de-partments. For students, Fortino says, the experience lets students evaluate their career options and build their professional network.

For employers, she says, it’s a chance to share their knowledge and expertise with the next generation, and find the fresh talent their businesses need. “We’ve had many employers that have repeated their participation, so obviously they enjoy the experience. It’s nice to see the same employers come back,” Fortino says. By spearheading or participating in a vari-ety of innovative community improvement initiatives, McMaster is helping to make Hamilton a more socially progressive, eco-nomically strong and culturally enhanced place to live. A significant initiative in this arena has been Claremont House, a community care centre for those grappling with homeless-ness and alcoholism. It was established through the collaboration of various commu-nity stakeholders, including McMaster. “We’ve been strongly supported by Mc-Master – they understand the importance of working with community partners,” says Paul Johnson ’93, executive director of Wes-ley Urban Ministries, which oversees Clare-mont House. At the 16-bed facility in downtown Hamil-ton, clients receive holistic care and counsel-ing from a variety of health professionals to help them overcome addiction and reinte-grate into the community. Claremont was developed in 2006 with support from McMaster School of Nursing assistant professor Dyanne Semogas, whose

McMaster’s long-standing commitment to enriching the lives of students and the Hamilton community benefits everyone

by Sharon Aschaiek

At Claremont House, nursing student Samantha Dyk plays Wii tennis with Fred Hirons. A fourth-year student, Samantha was at Claremont House for a service learning project. Every October, peace activists across the city join together in the Gandhi Peace Festival, co-sponsored by the University.

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Hamilton Feature



This may shock you, but I have never walked in space. I have never stepped out of an orbiting spacecraft and floated around in the weightless abyss. Dr. Dave Williams has, however. Dave has spent more time walking in space than any other Canadian. He has been part of two NASA space shuttle flights and worked on the International Space Station. Now that’s pretty cool, but the coolest thing about Dave Williams is that he is the director of the McMaster Centre for Medical Robotics. It was in that capacity he spoke at our McMaster Alumni Association event in Ottawa in February. Something he said there struck a familiar chord. Dave talked about the impact of seeing the planet all at once and that it made him realize he has – that all of us have – a responsibility to take care of it, to protect the legacy we have inherited so that we can pass it along to future generations, giving them the same opportunities we have been blessed with. Now, I’m a little intimidated by the thought of trying to save the world. I don’t know where I fit in a project that big, but I do know I can influence my little corner of the world. Here at McMaster, as part of our Senior Class Gift campaign, we put bright red tags on all the things on campus made possible by donors. There were more than 70 tags on everything from classrooms to outdoor benches. Of course those 70 tags were just a start. If we put red tags on everything made possible here by philanthropy, the campus would be littered with red. There would be tags on computer labs, squash courts, buildings, dozens of faculty members, thousands of scholarship and

bursary students, and pretty much every inch of the McMaster University Student Centre. That’s when I had my “floating in space moment.” I realized it was my responsibility to help take care of McMaster. Now, when I make my annual gift to the University, I’ll think of a few red tags going on library resources, because that’s where I direct my giving. When I was a student, I was a regular in the library and now that I have the ability as an alumna, I want current and future students to have the same opportunities I had. It’s not quite walking in space and saving lives with remote surgery – I’ll leave that to Dave Williams.

Join us for a special alumni event on April 29 at Queen’s Park, when Dr. Dave Williams will discuss Space Exploration and Remote Care Medicine. McMaster alumni reception in Queen’s Park, Committee Room 2, at 4 p.m.; Dr. Williams’ begins at 5 p.m. To register e-mail [email protected] or call 905-525-9140 ext. 23900

There are countless things happening here that make me proud to be a McMaster graduate. Most recently I attended the closing dinner at the McMaster World Congress – a great event organized by the students of the DeGroote School of Business. This year they brought in Sherry Watkins to share her Enron story. It was a fascinating perspective at a time when corporate social responsibility is top of mind. Next was the MSU Charity Ball – one of many MAA-sponsored student events. This year’s ball drew more than 2,000 students, raising some $30,000 for charity. The year also had its challenges, including the Brandon Hall fire. I had the pleasure of housing one of the displaced students while the residence was under repair. She was a great, albeit short-term, addition to the family. We were sorry to see her go but I am happy to say that she and her roommates are back in their refreshed rooms at Brandon Hall. Good luck Natalie! With that I will say good-bye. I am leaving the MAA in great hands. At our June Annual General Meeting David Adames ’92 will be confirmed as your new president. David is as great an advocate for McMaster as he is for the City of Hamilton (he is the executive director of Tourism Hamilton). While I am leaving the office of president I have no intention of stepping away from McMaster. Believe me, there are plenty of opportunities to stay involved! P.S. Tell us what you like! Alumni play an enormous role in building and maintaining a strong University. To better understand your needs and priorities, the Office of Alumni Advancement is embarking on a comprehensive survey. You will receive yours sometime this spring and I ask that you take the few minutes required to complete it. It will be a great tool for the MAA and the University to determine where to focus our programs and identify new program opportunities. Please don’t forget to respond!

JD Howell

Alumni Directions

At the risk of sounding like my mother, “where did the time go?” I cannot believe I am sitting down to write my farewell message to you. As a Hamilton resident I’ve always had the benefit of proximity and managed to stay informed of goings on at McMaster through our local news. The MAA has drawn me back to the McMaster community, however, and for that I am extremely grateful. I’ve loved being back on campus and have even overcome my fear of the new parking gates.

Alum

ni D

irect

ions Taking care

of my corner

Where did the year go?

Beth Webel ’84 Alumni Association President

JD Howell

Karen McQuigge ’90 Director, Alumni Advancement

JD Howell

JD Howell


Alumni Album

1930s Norma (Carkner) Cinnamon ’31 will celebrate her 100th birth-day on May 26, 2009. Friends and family will celebrate with Norma in Osgoode Township, near Ottawa. 1940s William F. Grant ’47 Emeritus Professor at McGill University, has been profiled as a Canadian Pioneer in Genetics by the Genetics Society of Canada. Professor Grant is one of the early plant cytogeneticists and biosystematists. The article was published in the October 2008 issue of the journal GENOME. 1950s Morris (Mo) Perozak ’54, Faculty of Social Sciences, has retired after 24 years as a lawyer and 25 years as a judge in Ontario Criminal Courts. 1960s Kenneth Kernaghan ’62 has been named a member of the Order of Canada. He was recognized “for his contributions to public administration as one of Can-ada’s foremost scholars in the areas of ethics and accountabil-ity for more than 30 years.” In his senior year as an under-graduate student at McMaster, Kernaghan served as president of the McMaster Students Union, was admitted to the

McMaster Honour Society and received the Chancellor’s Gold Medal. Kernaghan is now a professor of political science at Brock University and is an authority on public administra-tion. He has served as an advi-sor to governments and has also received the Vanier Medal for excellence in public adminis-tration (1996). He was inducted into McMaster’s Alumni Gallery in 1997 and elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 1998.

John MacDougall ’66 will be inducted into the U.S. National Inventors Hall of Fame in May. MacDougall and Ken Man-chester, who hired him to work on semiconductors at Sprague Electric, will both be honoured for the first ion implantation system for integrated circuits developed in 1967 and still used today for computers, cell phones, TVs and radios. Frederick H. Hayward ’68 has been elected president of the United Empire Loyalists’ Asso-ciation of Canada. Prior to his involvement with this heritage organization, he completed 36 years with the Halton District Board of Education.

Marilyn Abraham ’87 retired from the position of the Direc-tor of Human Resources for the Ontario Legislature in March 2007. She then became the first lobbyist registrar for the City of Toronto, the first position of its kind for a municipality in Can-ada. Abraham served Toronto City Council from April 2007 to August 2008. She is now re-tired once again and, as always, looking for new challenges and interests as she doesn’t “believe in sitting still for too long.”

McMaster graduate Joost Brender à Brandis ‘68, better known as Jock Brandis, has won a major award in the USA: the $100,000 Purpose Prize for people who find an important and socially useful purpose in life after age 60. Brandis put his mechanical know-how to work and invented a $28 machine to help rural African villagers shell peanuts more efficiently, boosting village income from a critical cash crop. On a trip to West Africa to help a friend fix a solar-powered drinking water system, Brandis came across an even bigger need: a simple, cost-effective peanut sheller to help poor wom-en prepare tough ground nuts for sale. It seemed simple, and Brandis promised to find one back in the U.S. What he didn’t know was that this “holy grail of sustainable agriculture” didn’t exist. A film lighting director by trade and a handy guy him-self, Brandis decided to invent one. His Universal Nut Sheller is now revolutionizing vital cash crops in developing countries by cutting down on labour hours and keeping more money with farmers, who no longer have to take crops miles away to be shelled by an outside source. Brandis’s organization, The Full Belly Project, has placed machines in 17 countries, created similar machines for other nuts, and trains aspiring social en-trepreneurs to manufacture locally and distribute the machines. But it wasn’t so easy to find a niche for the sheller in the complex and politicized universe of international development work. Conventional wisdom holds that farm products should be shipped to central locations for efficient milling and grinding or shelling and pressing into oils and animal feed. Brandis says. “Unfortunately, that is where the real ‘value added’ happens. The farmer stays poor.” In 2003, Brandis and some former Peace Corps volunteers formed the non-profit Full Belly Project to challenge that con-ventional wisdom. They adapted the sheller for use with coffee beans, macadamia nuts, shea nuts and jatropha, a seed that can be processed into diesel fuel, fertilizer and natural insecticide. They made pedal- and electric-powered versions for higher yields. Full Belly has recruited a high-powered board to direct its fundraising and outreach efforts and to help document the ben-efits of its work. These efforts are bearing fruit, but the process is too slow to suit Brandis, who is now 63. “I’m in a hurry,” he says. “If I was doing this when I was 35, I would have had all the time in the world to get it done. I want to do water and wind and solar. I want to cram in as much as possible.” Six $100,000 winners and nine $10,000 winners were chosen from more than 1,000 nominees for their creative and effective work. –Civic Ventures

Alumni Album

Prize for purpose past 60

Civic Ventures ©2008


Martin Green’74, McMaster PhD in electrical engineer-ing and winner of the 2002 Distinguished Alumni Award for Sciences, has been recog-nized again. Now a professor at Australia’s University of New South Wales, Green is

the runner-up for the richest science prize in the world, the inaugural Zayed Future Energy Prize. Green was awarded the $350,000US prize by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheik Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for his groundbreak-ing work to make photovoltaic technology more efficient and affordable. Green’s prize was given in recognition of his research on high-efficiency third-generation solar-cell technology. “I firmly believe that many of our future energy needs can be addressed by photovoltaic technology,” said Green, “I’m proud that as one of the first recipients of this award, pho-tovoltaic technology and its importance in the renewable energy mix is also being recog-nized as a commercially viable solution.”

1970s Pat Warren-Chaplin ’71 retired Dec. 31, 2008 as superintendent of program and schools for the Limestone District School Board after 36 years in public educa-tion. Her career as a teacher, principal, education officer and superintendent spanned roles in Peel, Toronto, York Region, the Ministry of Education and Lime-stone (Kingston).

Kris Mohan ’71 was re-appointed a part-time citizenship judge for Mississauga, Ont. He is a regis-tered professional engineer with 27 years of service in the nuclear energy industry, with a record of settling immigrants in Canada for the past decade, teaching English through The Learning Centre of Hamilton Public Li-brary.

Leone Ridsdale ’74 was recently appointed to the first academic chair in neurology and general practice in the United Kingdom. She is a professor at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College, London. She writes that she still

enjoys doing clinical work at the interface between neurol-ogy and the community, and evaluating the development of services for long-term condi-tons like migraine, epilepsy and chronic fatigue. During Christ-mas 2008, she visited friends and colleagues in Canada, with Serife and Ozge, her daughters adopted from Turkey.

Murray Christie ’75 was recently appointed to the Mayor’s Task Force for Physician Recruitment for St. Catharines, Ont. He has held various positions in health care and financial management during the past 30 years.

Jim Moffat ’75 was selected to play the French horn in the YouTube Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. Jim currently lives in the United Kingdom. He was one of two musicians based in the U.K. to be selected. He is a proud former member of the McMaster University Symphony. As a YouTube Symphony mem-ber, Moffat has the chance to live out one dream – for his mother to hear him perform at Carnegie Hall.

Cheryl Carr ’75 and ’77 received one of the Prime Minister’s Awards for Teaching Excellence for 2008 in recognition of her work as a geography teacher and as an advocate for the EcoSchool program within her school and beyond. “She has mentored teachers and students throughout her 30-year career and made a huge impact,” says Stella Dasko, Carr’s principal at Dr. Norman Bethune CI in Ag-incourt, Ont. “She’s a true role model in our school. She draws kids into whatever she is doing, whether it’s in the classroom or extracurricular. Her enthusiasm is irresistible.”

Glenn Sibbitt ’76 is the senior communications network officer for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Conflict Prevention Centre in Vienna. A professional engineer specializing in secure telecom-munications, Sibbitt has been with the OSCE since 2000.

Meric Gertler ’77 has been ap-pointed dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science at the Univer-sity of Toronto.

Elaine (Jeffrey) Irving ’94 and Andrew Irving announce the arrival of their second daughter, Skye Irving, born on Nov. 7, 2008. Their first daughter, Isla, was born in March 2007. Elaine and Andrew were married Oc-tober 2005 in Oakville, Ont. and currently reside in Burlington.

Dr. Lawrence Cohen ’79, will be one of four experts on a Cana-dian Colorectal Cancer Advisory Board advising GeneNews Ltd. on strategies for the Canadian commercialization of a blood-based screening test to deter-mine risk for colorectal cancer.

1980s Dr. Paula Rochon ’80 and ’83 has been appointed vice-president, research, at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto.

Dr. Joan Alyson Esplin ’80 and ’84 has joined the faculty of

the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine as associate professor of hematology and oncology in the internal medi-cine department and a member of the Simmons Cooper Cancer Institute.

The Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS) has given its 2009 CMS Excellence in Teaching Award to David Poole ’84, pro-fessor of mathematics at Trent University. The award recognizes sustained and distinguished contributions in teaching at the post-secondary undergraduate level at a Canadian institution.

On Feb. 13, at 2:45 p.m. local time, Bill Adams ’84 reached the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro after an exhausting eight-day climb. His 24-member team, Hakuna Matata, raised more than $10,000 dollars for the Sarnia Lambton Big Brothers Associa-tion.

Andrea Horvath ’86 became the leader of the Ontario New Dem-ocratic Party on March 6. Hor-vath was the youngest and only woman candidate. She was first elected to the Legislature in May 2004, after winning a by-election. She was also a Hamilton city councillor for seven years. Hor-vath is the first woman to lead the Ontario NDP.

Diana Conrad ’87 has been ap-pointed vice-president, human resources, for GlaxoSmithKline Inc., where she will lead the HR function for the North American consumer health-care business.

Sharon Vattay ’87 and ’88 has recently joined Goldsmith, Bor-gal & Company Architects as an associate. The Toronto-based architectural firm specializes

Energy research prize for McMaster alumni

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Marianne Reim ’89 is a busy sculptor based in Beamsville, Ont. and showing her massive steel and stone sculptures internationally. Says Reim: “My preferred material is steel. In my constructions the material wears its identity through rough cut edges, visible welds and an undisguised ‘slabness.’ I may combine them with wire, stone, text and miscellaneous findings.” Commenting on one of Reim’s pieces shown and purchased by the Art Gallery of Hamilton, curator Shirley Madill (now director/CEO at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria) said: “Experiencing the work of Marianne Reim is like traveling through a mysterious world of hidden messages, inscriptions that are to be decoded like sacred archaeological finds whereby we would discover true meanings to our very existence.” This spring, see Reim’s work in CONTACT, the Toronto Photography Festival, at Pentimento Fine Art Gallery,1164 Queen St. E., 416-406-6772, opening April 30, 6 p.m. continuing until May 31. Look for photo transfer on steel and some of the steel and stone interactive books she’s known for.

Alumni Album

Sculptor’s works have hidden messages for readers

Marianne Reim’s “I don’t care” showed at the Woman Made Gallery, 685 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago, from March 6 to April 16.

Alumni Gallery and MAA Awards CelebrationA highly celebrated McMaster tradition, the Alumni Gallery and MAA Awards are the Alumni Association’s way of recognizing the success of our current students and alumni and thanking them for setting high standards of achievement.

We invite you to join us as we recognize some of McMaster’s outstanding students and alumni on Tuesday, May 5, 2009.

- 6 p.m. Reception – 7 p.m. Dinner - CIBC Hall,

McMaster University Student Centre- $50 per person, $400 per table of 8

Cash bar

Alumni WeekendJoin us on Alumni Weekend for reunion celebrations, luncheons, dinners, special events and much more!

- Classes of ’29, ’34, ’39, ’44, ’49, ’54, ’59 & ’64

- Geography Classes of ’68, ’69, ’70- Nursing Class of ’79- MBA Classes of ’84, ’89 & ’99- Engineering Classes of

’69, ’74, ’79, ’84, ’89, ’94 & ’99- President’s Luncheon - Half Century Club Luncheon - President’s Dessert Party - Veterans Dinner - Jake’s Gift Veterans Performance

Annual General MeetingSpend a late spring evening with us in the beautiful Great Hall in Alumni Memorial Hall on Thursday, June 18. Join us for our Annual General Meeting, which will be followed by a reception and tasting of Spanish wines and tapas. Friends of alumni are also welcome to attend.

- 6 p.m. AGM Spanish wine & tapas tasting reception to follow

- Great Hall, Alumni Memorial Hall- AGM: No Cost- Spanish wine & tapas

tasting: $50 per person

For full event details and to register, visit us on the web at www.mcmaster.ca/ua/alumni, or phone the Office of Alumni Advancement at 1-888-217-6003.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009 May 23 & 24, 2009 Thursday, June 18, 2009

Come together...


in heritage, restoration and adaptive reuse and is engaged in projects across the country. Sharon continues to teach on a sessional basis at the University of Toronto, where she received her PhD in architectural history in 2001.

Tom Atkinson ’87 and ’88 was ap-pointed director of enforcement for the Ontario Securities Com-mission in February. Atkinson has had an extensive career in securities regulation, enforce-ment and litigation. He has an LLB from the University of Wind-sor and an MA in Public Policy and Public Administration from McMaster.

1990s Samantha Nutt ’91 and ’94 was nominated last December for The Globe and Mail’s Nation Builder of 2008. Readers put her name forward for helping war-affected children around the world. Dr. Nutt is the founder and executive director of War Child Canada. One of the nomi-nating readers wrote: “Since founding War Child Canada, Dr. Nutt has led by example to mo-bilize thousands of Canadians to help thousands more in war-torn regions of the world. However, it is her phenomenal ability to mo-bilize youth – our nation build-ers of the future – that makes her such a worthy nominee for this award.”

Lindsay (Traynor) Bell ’94 is a member of the municipal coun-cil in Peachland, B.C., where she offers to be a voice for the area’s young families. She and her hus-band moved to British Columbia in 2002; they have two children.

Mark Leslie Robertson ’95 has been appointed associate uni-versity librarian, information services, at York University.

Stephanie Powell Baswick ’97 has been appointed director curator of the Port Colborne Historical Marine Museum. She started at the Marine Museum in 1998 as assistant curator.

Joseph Tavano ’98 has become a partner in Buttle and Tavano Professional Corp., a chartered accounting firm that serves

southwestern Ontario, special-izing in owner-managed busi-nesses and self-employed profes-sionals. Adam Russell ’99 and Erin (Tem-plar) Russell ’99 announce the arrival of their first child, Keegan Paige Templar Russell, born Feb. 3, 2009. The family now lives in Beamsville, Ont.

Lillian Speedie ’99 has been elected vice-president of CUPE Air Canada, and become en-gaged to George Court.

Mechanical engineering and management graduate Nick Mam-chych ’04 has fulfilled an automobile-phile’s dream of building a car from scratch. This car, however, comes with a difference. It’s an all-steel beauty that’s been lovingly hand-crafted throughout. Nick, who lives in Niagara Falls, Ont., says he wanted to cre-ate “something new, something radical.” He sat down, did some renderings, and the project evolved from there. The theme took influences from the SR71 Blackbird designed with a retro feel – classic muscle with classic supercar – yet modern. Eight years and 7,800 hours in the building, the car, which he calls Rhythm, includes pieces stretched and molded to fit the evolving design. Many people have mistaken the car for a factory-released proto-type. Others see a Mustang. Some are convinced the hood is from a Charger or Camaro. “There’s not a piece of Mustang in this car,” he notes. The hood is actually from a Jaguar. To flow with the vehicle’s design, it was

widened and the centre section was pushed ahead, giving it a more aggressive, yet elegant appearance. Other adaptations include: a mid-mounted V-6 engine; a fuel tank mounted within the centre console to provide balanced weight distribution; coolant for the radiator flowing within the tu-bular frame; no visible release handles anywhere on the car – the vehicle opens electronically. Nick credits his dad, Vic, for his encouragement and assistance. Nick researched and asked specialists for guidance. He then fabri-cated, welded, upholstered, painted and detailed the car himself. The important choice of colour was all about Rhythm’s emotion – it was selected while enjoying a glass of Peller Estates’ 2004 Merlot Reserve. Can he put a dollar value on all this work? Nick smiles: “It’s worth quite a bit.” –By Trudi Down ‘71

All-steel car built by engineering alumnus

Alumni Album

50 Years of Celebrating the Genius of Shakespeare

The Importance of Being Earnest - Julius Caesar - Ever Yours, Oscar-Bartholomew Fair - Three SistersA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Macbeth - Cyrano de Bergerac - West Side Story

July 13-18, 2009

Go behind the scenes where you will enjoy:

top-priced tickets to seven Festival productions•lectures by theatre scholars•symposia with Festival actors, directors and craftspeople•fine dining at Avoca Restaurant•weekday and weekend packages also available •(four shows included)

To find out more visit:www.mcmaster.ca/ua/alumni

WE’D LIKE TO GET TO KNOW YOU...

Office of Alumni Advancement905.525.9140 x. 23900

[email protected]

This spring the McMaster Alumni Association will be conducting a survey of alumni. We’d like to know what you think. What matters

to you? How do you see McMaster playing a role in your life?

WE VALUE YOUR FEEDBACK AND LOOK FORWARD TO REFLECTING YOUR OPINION IN FUTURE ALUMNI

PROGRAMMING.

You will receive notice of the survey by email and/or postcard. Be sure to let Mac know what you think...and help us get to know

you better! Return your completed survey for a chance to win an iPod (approx. value $150) or one of two prizes of $100

restaurant gift certificates!

David Hou


Alumni Album

While some people wrestle with competing ambitions – a computer science degree versus dreams of rock stardom, for example – Des McKinney ’94 has his working together. As founder of The Missing Track, McKinney, who earned his B.Sc. in computer science, helps musicians from around the world turn demos into finished songs. Clients submit a rough version of their tune via the Internet, and McKinney’s team takes care of the rest with any combination of drums, bass, guitars, vocals, key-boards, mixing and production. “Technology’s a central part of modern music production, so having a tech back-ground definitely makes things easier when I’m sitting behind the desk,” McKinney says, adding that he’s never actually met a client face to face; about half live outside North America. “I’m comfortable around new software and hardware, and I don’t face the same learning curve as I might if I had earned a music degree instead.” McKinney has been balancing his background in computers and his love of mu-sic for years. His recording blog, www.hometracked.com, has drawn attention and praise from industry professionals and home recording enthusiasts, and his online band Gert—with members scattered from Boston to British Columbia to Ottawa – has been featured in the Toronto Star and the U.S.-based magazine, Making Music. McKinney realized there was an opportunity to jam with the world’s amateur musi-cians after lending his talents to Tailored Music, a site that provides clients with cus-tom tunes for Valentine’s gifts or wedding presents. “The Missing Track combines the things I love to do,” explains McKinney from his computer-based recording studio in Mississauga. “I have a computer science degree and I’m a musician; throw that in a blender and what do you get? I’m not sure I could find a more perfect melding of technology and musical creativity, at least for me.” McKinney can be reached through www.themissingtrack.com. –By Michael McKinnon

2000s Kimberley (Reid) Bourne ’02, and her husband David have twin girls, Gemma Riley and Megan Marie, born in August 2007.

Mike Des Jardins ’03 was one of 13 McMaster alumni, one student and three professors profiled last fall in the Hamilton Spectator’s “Top 40 under 40.” “People are doing interesting stuff in Hamilton and I was quite proud to be in such an outstand-ing group,” says Des Jardins, who was selected for his work with young people in the city.

Currently manager for Youth Engagement and Action in Ham-ilton, Des Jardins helps marginal-ized youth get engaged in activi-ties that can have “meaningful impact” on their lives.

Vidya Viswanathan ’03 married Ricardo T. Anderson in May 28, 2005. The couple now live in Chicago, Ill, where their son Ajai Ricardo Anderson was born Feb.11, 2008.

Lindsay Clement ’04, graduated as a doctor of chiropractic from the Canadian Memorial Chiro-practic College in June 2008. Clement was awarded the John M. Wallace Memorial Scholarship and the Dr. Donald Bramham Memorial Award for achieving the second highest average in 1st and 4th years of study. She has since moved to Ottawa and is now practicing at Gloucester Centre Chiropractic.

Alan Lo ’05 recently completed his Juris Doctor at the City Uni-versity of Hong Kong. He was also elected Chair of the Execu-tive Committee of the McMaster Alumni Association in Hong Kong, serving more than 1,000 alumni in the city, the largest alumni group outside Ontario.

Lisa (Hudson) McLaren ’05 and Kevin McLaren ’06 were married in June 2008. Lisa is employed by the Children’s Aid Society and Kevin is working on his PhD.

Richard Burgess ‘06 and Jen-nifer Burgess ‘04 are proud to announce the birth of their first child, Anderson Jude Burgess, born April 24, 2008.

A perfect combination of gifts


McM

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r Writ

es Publishing, 2009. Bar-Or emphasizes that people’s skills, concerns, motives, aspirations, and deficiencies are central factors in determining the success of any enterprise, and in particular one that is ailing.

The latest fantasy novel forTeens from K.V. Johansen ’94 Warden of Greyrock: The Warlocks of Talverdin, Book III, will be published by Orca this spring.

Against Destiny, Kunati, 2009, is the first novel by Alexander Dolinin ’96. Described as the first fictional account of an escape from the Soviet Gulag, the story follows four Soviet soldiers imprisoned in the late 1940s in a notorious Kolyma labor camp in the far northeast of Russia as they make their escape in winter and set out through the vast forests of the subarctic region.

Dr. Anne Berndl ’05 sheds light on what it takes to become a physician in Canada with her book, So You Want to be a Doctor, Eh? The career guide is aimed at preparing would-be doctors for the journey through medical school and beyond. Berndl initially developed a website for potential medical students, www.doctorstarter.ca, which led her publisher, Writing on Stone Press, to invite her to develop the concept as part of their series on careers in Canada. Make-Buy Decisions in the Face of Radical Innovations, (VDM Verlag, June 2008) is the first book by Robert K. Perron ’95. Perron, who works in technology deployment for Shell International and is an affiliated researcher at the University of Cambridge, explores the difficulties firms face when deciding whether or not to outsource components that go into a radically new technology, and presents strategic options for managers facing these issues.

Brent Garell ‘93 is the author of a new cookbook called The Cook-a-Palooza Experience: Cooking That’ll Move, Groove & Inspire You! After 11 years working in Human Resources, Brent recently decided to follow a new direction and publish a cookbook that combines two of his biggest passions. cooking and music. Brent has fun, healthy and approachable style of cooking. Visit www.cookapalooza.com to contact Brent and sample recipes from the book.

“Subject’s a bit gruesome, but it does make for some interesting reading,” says Nicholas Terpstra ’80 and ’83 editor of The Art of Executing Well: Rituals of Execution in Renaissance Italy, Kirksville, MO: Truman State University Press, 2008. In Renaissance Italy a good execution was both public and peaceful–at least in the eyes of authorities. In a feature unique to Italy, the people who prepared a condemned man or woman spiritually and psychologically for execution were not priests or friars, but laymen. This volume includes some of the songs, stories, poems and images that they used, together with first-person accounts and ballads describing particular executions.

Patricia J. Moser-Stern ’80 and ’81 has co-authored a book of advice from outstanding women. Moser-Stern and Barbara Kathleen Moser began by writing to exceptional women throughout the world, asking them for the “1 Piece of Advice™” that would inspire women to turn their dreams into realities. What they learned about success and overcoming obstacles in many different contexts is the outcome. 1 Piece of Advice is available at www.1pieceofadvice.com. Judith Nasby ’68 has co-written The Cultivated Landscape: An Exploration of Art and Agriculture with fellow University of Guelph professor and international agricultural program advisor, Craig Pearson. The book features more than 70 illustrations of art that visually enhance a discussion about the evolution of agriculture, how we think about agriculture, its use of the land and impact on landscape, and how landscape has been portrayed historically in art. McGill Queen’s University Press 2008.

Jody Aberdeen ‘04, has released QLO: The Quarter-Life Opportunity, which discusses the “Quarter-Life Crisis” that affects many twentysomethings and graduates. QLO is Jody’s story of using this time as an opportunity to become the person you want to be while still having time on your side. QLO is available at www.quarterlifeopportunity.net, Lulu.com, Amazon and Titles Bookstore.

While much of the literature on corporate turnarounds focuses on business operations and view’s staff as expenses to be cut, Yuval Bar-Or ’90 ’91 and ’94 has taken a different approach in his new book, Leveraging People for a Corporate Turnaround: Leadership and Management Guidance for Organizational Change, TLB

Did you know that Titles Bookstore stocks more than 600 books written by McMaster faculty, staff and alumni?

McMaster Writes


In Memoriam

Courtney Blair ’73 died on Jan. 23, 2009 after suffering a stroke in August 2008. Originally from Guyana, Blair, known as “Nappy,” earned his under-graduate degree in English and French. He was also the second president (1970-1971) of the Afro Caribbean Association. At the time of his passing he was a professor at Dillard University in New Orleans. He is survived by his wife Terry.

Dorothy Strudwick (nee Davidge) ’50 passed away Feb. 21, 2009 in Plantation, Fla., following a long illness with Alzheimer’s disease. Dorothy graduated from McMas-ter with a BA in sociology and was a social worker in Montreal, Toronto and Fort Lauderdale, where she specialized in working with children and families. She attended her 50th anniversary class reunion in 2000. She is survived by John, her husband of 50 years, her four daughters, Mary Ann, Julia, Diana, and Jane, and two grand-daughters, all in Florida.

Major William A. Duncan ’40 died suddenly in Toronto on March 11, 2008 at 93. He is survived by his wife Annabel Duncan ’65 and his daughters Debbie Fleming ’65 and Donna Woods ’67.

Christopher A.H. Evans ’88, who earned his honours B.Sc. and MBA at McMaster, died in June 2008 after a long struggle with manic-depressive disorder. Raised in Midland and residing in Toronto, Evans lived life at full speed and will be remembered for the passion and energy with which he pursued many of life’s pleasures, including playing guitar, extreme mountain biking and wilderness camping.

Tamara Foulds ’94 died July 31, 2008, in London, Ont., after a brief fight with cancer.

Faculty of Science graduate Kenneth B. Hodd ’49, died Oct. 21, 2008 in Dundas, Ont.

Frank Holuj ’56 and ’58, who earned his M.Sc. and PhD at McMaster, died Nov. 28, 2008 at 81 after a short illness. He was a professor of physics at the University of Windsor and a volunteer for the Canadian Cancer Society. He is survived by his sister Katherine Roberts and nieces and nephews.

Richard Leach ’88 died on Nov. 7, 2008. A former student of St. Francis Xavier University, he became a professor of English after obtaining his master’s de-gree from McMaster. His love of teaching took him to Asia where he also began a writing career. He co-authored The Writing Process while teaching in Beijing and wrote on environmental and political issues. He is survived by his parents and sister, Lynette Leach ’83.

Dr. Marianne LeBlanc ’74 and ’78 died on March 20, 2008, in Vic-toria, B.C. Born in Hamilton, she graduated from McMaster Uni-versity as a family practitioner. Dr. LeBlanc embraced the Baha’i Faith in 1970, inspiring her to a life of service to others. She was well-loved as a physician whose passion for health led her to integrate all modalities of heal-ing. She is survived by her son Michael Peters, her father Fred Kozlo, siblings, nieces, nephews, stepchildren and cousins.

Edward Duncan McTavish ’74 died of leukemia on June 24, 2008 in London, Ont. After com-pleting his honours BA in geog-raphy and physical education at

McMaster, he went on to obtain his M.Ed. from Western in 1983. He is survived by his wife Julie, his son Tyler, Royal Military Col-lege ’08, daughters Terri ’08 and Mariko, Fanshawe College ’08. Julie McTavish notes, “He hung on until he saw them all gradu-ate and was so very proud.”

Harry Lee Penny ’93, founding director of the School of Social Work at McMaster in 1968, and later director of the Centre for Continuing Education, died Feb. 8 in Burlington, Ont., at 90. He is survived by his wife and two sons, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He requested donations to the School of Social Work Endowment Fund at Mc-Master.

Deborah J. Russon ’92, died suddenly on Nov. 6, 2008. She received her BA in Labour Stud-ies from McMaster. Russon was manager of human resources with the Hamilton-Wentworth School Board from 1998 to re-tirement in 2001. Prior to that, she was the Board’s chief nego-tiator. She returned for a second career in 2004 as admissions officer. She also served on the board of directors for Victoria Park Community Homes. She is survived by her daughter, Chris-tine.

Faculty of Social Sciences gradu-ate in geography, Victor Sim ’52, died in Ottawa on Dec. 7, 2008.

Grace Hellen Macfarlane Swan ’39 died in Magog, P.Q. on Oct. 22, 2008 at 90. Her husband Andrew Swan writes that “She was always a great booster of McMaster, and spread the gos-pel in Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Quebec, to say nothing of Ontario….” She also graduated from the University of Toronto as an occupational therapist and later moved often as a Navy wife. She is survived by two sons and a daughter, eight grandchildren, her sister and brother.

Joseph Owen Vaughan ’44, died Nov. 16, 2008. Vaughan gradu-ated from McMaster in 1944 with a BA and from McMaster Divinity College in 1948 with a B.Div. Vaughan went on to become the long-time pastor of the First Baptist Church in Owen Sound, Ont., and continued working in the community long after his official retirement.

Mary Elizabeth Warren (nee Ferguson) ’35 died July 6, 2008 in Oakville, Ont. Her career had been in teaching in Hamilton, Clarkson and Oakville, where she was also active in the United Church Women’s Association, University Women’s Club and Home and School Associations. She is fondly remembered by daughter Pat Warren-Chaplin ’71, Gary Chaplin, son Don Warren ’75, Huong Ly and her grandchil-dren, William and Cynthia.

Stuart Bruce Winn ’72 died on Feb. 13, 2008, in Napanee, Ont. at 85. He was actively involved in the establishment and opera-tion of McMaster’s MD Program. When he retired in 1989, he was co-ordinator, special projects, Faculty of Health Sciences. Winn became a member of McMaster’s Alumni Council and eventually president of the Alumni Associa-tion. He chaired the Archives Committee, the McMaster Alum-ni Continuing Education Com-mittee and the President’s Task Force on McMaster University-Alumni Relations. The Alumni Association awarded him its highest honour – the first Distin-guished Service Award.

In Mem

oriam


tions, the library achieved a good balance between quiet study areas, and common meeting areas, which helps facilitate col-laborations and study groups,” says Affaf Ahtisham, a third-year student in Life Sci-ences. He agrees with Bayley that the envi-ronment makes a big difference. “Its open-concept design is welcoming and it feels like you are studying in a university in the 21st-century–not still in high school!”

Improving student life The original Learning Commons at McMaster, completed just over two years ago, is the spacious second-storey area within the Mills Memorial Library (the Hu-manities and Social Sciences library, built in 1951), featuring a mix of lounge and com-puter-equipped spaces, plus areas for group study, academic skills counselling, technical help and services for students with special needs. It has received the McMaster Student Union’s Rudy Heinzl Award of Excellence, which recognizes change that “improves the lives of McMaster students.” Among several student-focused changes at Mills: there’s a central desk at this library, too, comfortable new seating chosen by a “vote with” – you guessed it – “your seat” contest, a student art competition whose winning works will adorn the walls, and late-closing hours suited to night owls during peak times on the scholastic calendar. There’s also a practi-cal and stress-busting touch in the form of a vending machine dispensing project neces-sities such as USB keys, earbuds, printer ink and pens. The Mills Library is also the home of the Wong e-classroom, an immersive teaching space fitted out with laptops, a “wizard” po-dium that can make use of the Internet, in-teractive whiteboards, a document camera, video system and plasma screens. Carolyn Eyles, director of the Integrated Science program, a 3M National Teaching Fellow and professor in the School of Geography and Earth Sciences (see page 8 and our Last Word column on page 34), taught a course

on glaciers there last year, projecting Google Earth images for students, developing ideas on the whiteboard while using the Internet, and displaying students’ work as they creat-ed it. She recalled: “Students really enjoyed the opportunity ... they felt very privileged to have access to such an effective learn-ing environment.” The library space also provides lessons about how to teach with the new technology. “The physical proxim-ity of librarians to instructors teaching in the Wong classroom is a real bonus,” Eyles added. In its own, modest upgrade, the fourth of McMaster’s libraries, Innis Library – the DeGroote School of Business library in Ken-neth Taylor Hall, built in 1974 – has been outfitted with new seating, group-study ta-bles and wired study carrels for laptop users.

Using the new tools Library-faculty connections are another strong new initiative: specific librarians are paired with departments in a personal way, helping teachers and students alike learn how to find the research material they need, how to use it and how to take advantage of the most up-to-date techniques for studying and sharing. Seven new librarians are working in spe-cialized areas including new electronic resources, digital technologies and archives. Among leading-edge projects, Trzeciak points to the newly donated Resistance archive (see page 8), considered one of the University’s most vital new archives which is being digitized, becoming a virtual museum available to researchers around the globe. Another new technological marvel is pro-viding a dramatic range of connections from its home in a small office in Mills Library. McMaster was the first university in Canada to buy a Kirtas robotic book scanner and is using it to make old and rare books acces-sible to a wider audience. Its compact me-chanical “hand” plucks gently at the pages of delicate volumes, turning them steadily. Two cameras photograph each page and a com-puter program edits and produces a near-

perfect facsimile. At nearby Titles bookstore, the Espresso Book Machine, one of only two in the country, can print and bind paperback versions of some of these rare books while a customer waits. “There is still much work to be done,” noted Trzeciak, “and more changes to come, but clearly we are headed in the right direc-tion, as indicated by our peers. My commit-ment to the University – and indeed to our profession – is to continue the transforma-tion process.” After all, the stakes are high. University libraries face an intriguing chal-lenge: a failure to adapt could mean “mar-ginalization and ultimately redundancy,” he added. But being supple and ready to change – even anticipating change – can mean becoming ever more vital and relevant to users. “The choice is ours.”

Jeanie MacFarlane is an award-winning Hamilton-based writer and broadcaster–best known as a long-time book reviewer for CBC Radio and Newsworld.

that is to say a collapse of confidence within the international banking system–it has spread across the globe perhaps more quickly than ever before.” While recession can take a personal toll, McMaster experts agree it is possible to navi- gate through successfully. Yates, for exam-ple, suggests people take advantage of avail-able resources, such as adjustment centres established by their union, counselling re-sources offered at work, and social network-ing opportunities available through libraries and community centres. “We need a social life and we should be able to share things with others, which will become especially important if you are laid off or in a period of transition in your ca-reer,” she says. McAteer agrees. “In 2009, everyone has to take these steps. Even those who are sur-vivors in their jobs should be taking these precautions.”

Chantall Van Raay is assistant editor of the McMaster Times.

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Yesterday and today: part of the Thode Library awaits renovation – study carrels, bookshelves, card cata-logues and orange carpet contrast with the new laptop desks and discussion spaces a few feet away.

I will survive



considerable knowledge in inner city health and street nursing helped shape the centre’s cutting-edge managed alcohol treatment format. Her academic background proved critical, Johnson says, to her role as program director. Also essential, Johnson adds, are visits to Claremont by McMaster students.“Some provide clinical help related to their studies, for example in nursing or physio-therapy, but they also talk to our clients and take them to recreational activities in the community,” Johnson says. “We get great expertise and enthusiasm from McMaster, and we couldn’t do our job well without the University and its students.” Furthering the cause of global peace is an-other way McMaster is working to improve

life in the city, and the world. By joining with the India-Canada Society of Hamilton to co-sponsor the annual Gandhi Peace Festival, McMaster promotes non-violence and social justice. “The event involves faculty members, stu-dents and community members, and is in-tended to keep alive consciousness of peace by enabling human rights and peace organi-zations within Hamilton to work together,” says Bonny Ibhawoh, director of McMaster’s Centre for Peace Studies. Taking place each year on the weekend closest to Gandhi’s birthday (Oct. 2), the day-long festival in downtown Hamilton fea-tures an information fair, speaker presenta-tions, music, dance, and a peace walk. McMaster helped establish the festival in

1993, and over the years it has grown sub-stantially, attracting about 400 attendees and becoming an important awareness-raising opportunity for non-profit groups such as Amnesty International, Engineers Without Borders, Project Ploughshares and Physi-cians for Global Survival. “One question we get all the time at our centre is, ‘We know there are conflicts in the world and global issues of poverty, but what can we do about it?’” Ibhawoh asks. “This festival provides great opportunities for members of the Hamilton community to be involved in trying to engage in our world and in peace activism.” For students who want more than a tradi-tional reading week, the University’s office

McMaster students, left, take part in a Hamilton clothing drive during reading week. McMaster’s Writers-in-Residence participate in programs throughout the city: Sheng Xue, above, an award-winning journalist and author, is the current McMaster International Writer-in-Residence. Right, 2008 Writer-in-Residence Lawrence Hill, is the author of CBC’s Canada Reads choice for 2009, The Book of Negroes.



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Local projects during reading week provide a break from classes and exams when students can contribute their time and energy and keep learning about the community and their role in it.

of community service learning and civic engagement runs a reading week program that enables students to help local residents in need. Helping out with local food drives, sorting donated Christmas toys and doing administration work at the March of Dimes are just some of the ways students volunteer their time and energy. “These agencies really look forward to hav-ing our group every year. Painting a gym or organizing clothes can be a big help,” says Adam Kuhn, community service learning manager. “We’re trying to break down the barriers so that there’s more of an active interchange among people at McMaster and in Hamilton.” Kuhn’s office also recently started and facilitated McMaster’s first-ever Citizen En-gagement Week, an eight-day celebration of the University’s involvement in social and community issues. Panel discussions, a conference and a documentary screening on subjects such as supporting local youth, par-ticipating in environmentalism and fighting poverty were among the events chosen to highlight the University’s emphasis on pro-moting engaged citizenship among students.“Everyone has a stake in citizenship, and it’s important for students to consider the role they can play in improving the lives of oth-ers in the community,” Kuhn says. Connecting with the wider community, particularly at the cultural level, is a cen-tral goal of McMaster’s Writer-in-Residence (WiR) and International Writer-in-Residence

(IWiR) programs. Writers and aspiring writ-ers in Hamilton have a unique opportunity to learn from experts. McMaster’s Writer-in -Residence (WiR) and International Writer- in-Residence (IWiR) programs, run by the department of English and Cultural Studies, feature two different writers each year who, for four months, receive compensation and access to an office and writing resources to support their writing careers. In exchange, writers commit to spending 40 per cent of their time participating in writing-related campus and community activities. “It’s wonderful for writers,” says Daniel Coleman, department professor and Canada Research Chair. “For the larger community, there’s a significant impact and a lot of mo-mentum around it.” That momentum encompasses a broad range of activities, including readings at local elementary and high schools, talks at library book clubs, and counselling aspir-ing writers. Operating since 1999 with the sup-port of The Canada Council for the Arts, the WiR pro-gram has attracted many successful writers, including

Governor-General’s Award winner, play-wright and poet Daniel David Moses, novel-ist Shyam Selvadurai, and Commonwealth Writer’s Prize winner, novelist and non-fic-tion writer Lawrence Hill. Entering its third year, IWiR runs in partnership with PEN Canada’s writer-in-exile network and aims to give a platform to new writers who’ve faced censorship in their home countries. Says Coleman: “It’s one of the ways we can share the cultural life we enjoy at the Univer-sity with the wider community, and contrib-ute to what’s going on in public libraries and schools.”

Sharon Aschaiek writes about education, careers and lifestyle.



Using technology in teaching promotes much more effective collaboration between instructors and essential partners in teaching and learning on campus, such as librarians.

The

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I am certainly not a ‘techno-geek’ (or even very proficient in the use of technology), but I have become excited about using technol-ogy in my teaching. Technology in teaching can take many forms, ranging from Power-Point slides in a lecture to wikis and blogs for collaborative projects and GPS for field-based geospatial assignments. Instructors are now exploring ways to use hand-held mobile communication devices (such as iPhones) in classroom and field settings.

Critics accuse technology of distracting students in the classroom, but I have found it to be an effective tool to engage students in learning. Students learn far more effec-tively when they take an active role and can see the relevance of the material to their lives. In our increasingly digital world, stu-dents must be able to find, evaluate, use, and communicate digital information effec-tively, efficiently and ethically. These skills in dealing with digital information are often re-ferred to as the “21st-century fluencies” and are best learned hands-on with appropriate technological support. Experiential learning of 21st-century fluencies allows students to appreciate the wide range of potential ap-plications of technology in the digital world and provides them with opportunities to explore and develop their skills in a support-ive learning environment. My own interest in using technology in teaching was stimulated by a conference presentation describing an interactive web-

based assignment for a Civil War history course. I realized that by creating an inter-active assignment students would become more engaged in the learning process, tak-ing pride in the collaborative (rather than competitive) creation and communication of new knowledge that could be available to a global audience. The students would also use a technology very familiar to them (web-based information exchange) and de-velop skills relevant to their future lives. On

my return to McMaster I worked with Cathy Moulder, Maps and Geographic Information System (GIS) librarian, on the creation of a collaborative wiki-based assignment for my fourth year Glacial Sedimentology course in which student teams were responsible for the creation of a web-hosted inventory of Canadian glaciers. Students became fully engaged in this project, in part because their wiki site was accessible to the public (not only to the instructor) and they felt they were contributing significantly to the global knowledge base. Cathy and I have collabo-rated on the creation of several other wiki-based assignments and continue to explore ways to integrate technology into teaching. Using technology in teaching promotes much more effective collaboration be-tween instructors and essential partners in teaching and learning on campus, such as librarians. The library’s traditional role of discovery, dissemination and preservation of new knowledge has evolved to include

digital information, and the library can now play an important role in the creation of new intellectual products from faculty and stu-dent work. Librarians are skilled users and disseminators of 21st-century fluency skills and are helping both students and faculty explore the applications of emerging learn-ing technologies as well as mechanisms that allow blending of traditional (print) and new (digital) approaches. In my own teaching and curriculum development I have benefit-

ted greatly from collaborations with library staff in the design, teaching and evaluation of undergraduate courses and programs that integrate technological teaching tools. Productive partnerships among students, instructors and librarians are further en-couraged by high-tech and experimental learning environments such as the Wong e-Classroom in the Mills Library. As I said, I am certainly not a technologi-cal expert, but I can see huge opportunities in the development and implementation of emerging technologies in the teaching and learning environment at McMaster. Teach-ing with technology can be great fun – and offers many exciting opportunities and ben-efits for instructors and students alike. Carolyn Eyles is a professor in the School of Geography & Earth Sciences, a 3M National Teaching Fellow, and director of McMaster’s Integrated Science Program.

WILLIAM McMASTER & SUSAN MOULTON McMASTER LIKE TO GET TOGETHER WITH FRIENDS.

These friends are the special people who remember McMaster University through insurance, annuities, trusts or gifts in their estates.

For information about how you can join the William McMaster & Susan Moulton McMaster Society, contact the Office of Gift Planning at 905-525-9140, ext. 24918 or [email protected]

Friends who make a difference, generation after generation.

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Friends who help us do research that changes lives.

Friends who help build our reputation for teaching.

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